Number of Foreign Online Influence Operations Detected in the Past Three Years

Question:

Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry: To ask the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) for each year from 2022 to 2025, how many foreign online influence operations were detected; (b) what platforms and techniques were involved in such operations; (c) what reach was recorded for each operation; and (d) how many of such cases were takedowns or counter-messaging executed.

Answer:

Mr K Shanmugam, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs:

1. For operational reasons, the Government does not disclose the statistics or details for which the Member has requested.

2. The Member may refer instead to the Government's Press Releases on the issuance of account restriction directions against 95 social media accounts in July 2024, as well as the blocking of 10 inauthentic websites in October 2024, for examples of foreign online influence operations. The techniques used include the coordinated use of social media accounts to amplify narratives, and the masquerading of foreign-origin websites as Singapore websites by incorporating familiar local features and visuals, and carrying artificial intelligence-generated content on Singapore.